A collection of deliberately placed letters into the formation of words to reveal the ramblings of those who are sporadically inspired to share what they know and care about.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

The 12 Days of Christmas....Day 6.

Ahhh....day 6.

I was speaking with some friends recently and we were discussing some of the traditions of Christmas....one of which, perhaps the MOST important in my family is the baking. There are certain things that Mom makes during Christmas that she doesn't make at any other time during the year....fruitcake, tordilli(they're Italian so I'm unsure of spelling, but they are the twisted dough drops that are golden fried to perfection and then tossed around in hot honey and cinnamon), potato doughnuts, raisin tarts, meringues and so much more. (I'll need a moment to wipe the drool from my chin....) Ok, so.....where was I....um...oh ya...ok, so the smells that emanate from the kitchen as she's baking are so completely totally a part of Christmas. Not just the baking smells, but the other smells of Christmas, that is Day 6; the smells of Christmas.

What other smells are there during the holidays? Well, there's the tree smells, pine trees, spruce trees, real trees, fake trees, they all 'smell'. The poinsettias that pop up and around, they all have a 'green ' aroma as well. The smell of gingerbread houses, either made from scratch or taken from a box and assembled with a bag of pre-made bonding agent (icing). Then the candles that burn while we sit and visit with friends or family. Turkey and stuffing roasting for what seem like an eternity have an unmistakeable aroma. Let's not forget the sledding smell (ladies with sled-men, you know what I'm talking about) the smell of sled exhaust blended with sweat and crisp cold.....ugh. The smell of snow....white, fresh falling snow has an incredible aroma....it does! It smells clean and white and wintery. The smell of a hot, roaring fire in the fireplace that crackles into the evening. Cedar boughs, candy canes, the smell of the box that has all the ornaments in it; slightly musty. Hot chocolate, coffee, egg nog with a smattering of nutmeg. Cinnamon, clove, ham, rose-hips, vanilla, wine, champagne, mint........

All of these delights come together to create the fragrance of the holidays. During this year's celebrations take a moment and think about what your most loved scents of the season are and why. Do they evoke a memory that is heartwarming? I'd love to hear/read about your favourite festive fragrances.

"I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month." ~ Harlan Miller